A Tangle of Hearts (A Shade of Vampire #44)(16)

His frown mirrored an emotion I couldn’t really understand.

I realized my face was probably bright red and blotchy from all the stress and panic I’d just been through. It probably looked like I’d been crying, too, since my eyes felt glassy—I’d certainly come close to it.

The heat roasting the inside of my throat at the sight of the incubus was too much to handle in this moment. I hid my face in my palms and shut everything out. I focused on my breathing until it all seemed to go quiet around me.

Unnaturally quiet. The thought that I might be slipping into another vision crossed my mind, and I quickly opened my eyes. I really wasn’t in the mood for another Oracle seizure right now.

I found Bijarki standing in front of me, looking down with a wet towel in his hand. He offered it to me. His face lacked any expression, but his bluish-gray eyes seemed to see right through me, making me feel vulnerable.

“You’ve got blood all over you,” he said and gently pushed the towel into my hands.

I accepted it with a small nod and soon understood what he meant. Phoenix’s blood was smeared all over my arms, and the realization made me shudder as I wiped it off. I had to scrub hard where the blood had dried and didn’t come off easily.

I sighed and kept at it, aware of Bijarki still near me. I looked up, and my gaze met his for a second. He nodded respectfully and walked away. His presence had felt comforting.

He’d had a strange effect on me when we’d first met with my knees going weak all the time. I’d pushed all of that away, and I’d pushed him away as well, as he’d gotten too close too fast. I’d been closed off my whole life to guys. I didn’t know how to react to him.

Even when I’d snapped at him, he’d been so respectful of my boundaries, almost leery of crossing paths again, yet he couldn’t leave me on my own when he’d seen me suffering. In the beginning I had been wary and reserved around Bijarki, but those feelings had shifted to a strange but much-welcome calm whenever he was near me.

I wasn’t sure what was happening to me, but, ironic as it was, I wanted him to turn around and stay a while longer.





Serena





[Hazel and Tejus’s daughter]





I lost track of time. I had dozed off on the stool next to Phoenix’s bed for a while, my head resting against his side. When I came to, Aida and Field were standing nearby, both looking down at Phoenix with frowns of concern.

Aida gave me a pained smile. “How are you holding up?” she asked, her voice low.

I looked at my brother and saw that nothing had changed over the last few hours. He was still unconscious, but his forehead was smooth and gave me the impression that he was in a deep sleep, which was somewhat reassuring.

“I’m all right. Not sure about Phoenix.” I sighed and rubbed my eyes.

Field was gently leaning against Aida, and she didn’t squirm like I’d seen her do before when he was too close to her. At the same time, the look she gave me made me think that something had changed in their non-relationship. There was a mixture of childish giddiness, awe, and reserve passing over her face, in rapid succession, like she wasn’t sure that it was all real. I guessed she was still processing how she felt about being in such close physical contact with him.

I wasn’t sure whether he’d gotten closer or whether she’d gotten a bit more comfortable in his vicinity, but something was definitely different about them.

On any other day, I would’ve eagerly pulled her aside and interrogated the daylight out of her, but with Phoenix lying unconscious before me, I couldn’t stay focused on Field and Aida.

I caressed my brother’s face with the back of my hand, secretly hoping that he could feel me and wake up sooner. If he woke up at all.

I flicked the grim thought away as fast as I could and found myself wondering about Draven. I looked around and found him at the far side of the basement room by the stairs. He leaned against a wall, talking to Bijarki.

I couldn’t do anything more to help Phoenix at this point in time, but I needed to focus on something. It made sense for me to resume my little mission to pump the Druid for information, especially with the succubus in our midst. There was a lot he still hadn’t told me about the incubi and their female counterparts, their involvement with Azazel, and the risks they posed to our safety.

“Aida, can you look after Phoenix for a while?” I asked. “I need to talk to Draven.”

“Sure, I’ll stay with him.” Her reply came swiftly, and I gave her the warmest smile I could muster.

“I’ll stick around,” Field interjected, still holding his side.

Aida threw him a look, and he shrugged with the expression of a little kid in trouble.

“You should be lying down in your bed,” she said.

Field moved slowly around the bed and took my seat on the stool, grunting in the process. I felt so bad for him and the amount of pain he’d endured for my brother.

“I’m fine,” he replied gently and looked up at me with a reassuring smile.

“I wish I could syphon some of that pain away, but I’m drained for now.” I felt the need to explain myself.

“You’ve got to save your energy. Don’t worry about me. Really.” He waved me off, and I nodded.

I walked up to Draven, who was still in conversation with Bijarki. They both kept their voices low. My guess was that they didn’t want the succubus to hear them. I looked over and saw her fast asleep, Jovi standing motionless by her bedside.